Struggling with food

suki1964

Citygirl, do you actually like cooking and food but just don't have the time or energy, or is food to you just fuel?

Citygirl1

suki1964 wrote: »

Citygirl, do you actually like cooking and food but just don't have the time or energy, or is food to you just fuel?

I like food but I don't like cooking, I used to do in the past but feel its a waste of time just for me on my own now. Its also time factor with working full time.

PasturesNew

In my opinion (which is worth nothing) .... all shakes are "just a nonsense" - they're mentally fooling you into lowering your calorie intake, but you do't get any "actual proper food".

I'd find something tasty that I like that has the same calories and at least feel like I ate food!

Re cooking/freezing food - I know how easy it is to simply "not fancy stuff" after it's been in the freezer more than a week or two.

singhini

A couple of suggestions from me (this is a reminder for myself TBH).


Try getting raw vegetables into your daily diet (also fresh salads and drink enough water)

Avoid eating late (I try not to eat after 6pm, so I can get 5-6 hours digestion time before bed)

Control portion size and calories (hard for me). If you having 3 or 4 meals aday then that’s about 500-600 kcals a meal

Try chewing gum to keep the mouth busy in between meals

Do eat porridge, its a superfood and good for you (plain is best IMHO i.e. in mycase porridge with hot water and a pinch of cinnamon powder (its wholesome and good fuel for the body in the mornings).

Try getting some protein from non-meat / diary sources like beans, peas, nuts, seeds and lentils (I have to say this as a vegetarian)

Keep an eye on the amount of sugar you’re eating (its in virtually everything processed).

Try making soups (youtube has loads of videos of simple soup recipes)

Prepare things the night before (prepare a simple salad the night before, cover with Clingfilm and leave in the fridge, it will be fine when you get in from work the next day).

Snack on raw veg and salad leafs (yes I snack on Lettice leafs instead of crisps).

Don’t bother drinking fruit juice (stick with whole fruit which still contains the fibre).

If you end up with fresh food wastage each week think about buying frozen (I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with frozen peas or frozen chopped carrots). Its processed food I would try to stay away from.

Don’t waste your money on processed meat, take away food, crisps, fizzy pop, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, sweats or alcohol.

Try to use just one cupboard in the kitchen as a food draw (you only need enough food for one person).

Spend time on understanding how the body digests and processes the food you’re eating (find out about things like glucose, fructose, sucrose, alcohol sugars sorbitol and xylitol. What happens if some food is only partly metabolised. How is ethanol metabolised by the body. What food types are actually needed for bio-chemical reactions in the body. What is DLVL, DeNovo Lipogenesis, pyruvate, JNK-1 enzymes. What happens when saturated fat tissue push fat into muscle cells as free fatty acids causing insulin resistance etc…..)

Remember food types that contain starch are better for you than processed sugars and alcohol.

Remember too much of anything is bad for you.

i was taught; “to be healthy we must eat a balanced diet, exercise well and sleep well. Share your knowledge, keep no secrets and be patient (do not expect results immediately)”.

elsien

Much as your post makes sense in principle, I do have to say that for me chocolate and alcohol in moderation is never a waste of money.
People have to find what works best for them and their lifestyle. For example me I tend not to get in from work/dog walking much before 7 so quite often don't eat until between 8 or 9. And it can be a faff wondering if I can be bothered. But as I much prefer my own cooking to ready meals, then for me the pre-planning make it a lot easier.